Professor Koen De Feyter presents at the UN Working Group on the Right to Development

UN Human Rights Counciládecided to embark on the drafting of a legally binding instrument on the right to development. Professor Koen De Feyter gave an expert presentation.

Professor Koen De Feyter at the UN Working Group on the Right to Development

After two decades of debate, the UN Human Rights Council in 2018 decided to embark on the drafting of a legally binding instrument on the right to development (see UN Human Rights Council resolution 39/9, 2 September 2018, adopted by a recorded vote of 30 to 12, with 5 abstentions).

The drafting process commenced at the 20 th session of the Working Group on the right to development (29 April-3 May 2019), with two days of discussion on the content and scope of the future instruments.

There were five expert presentations. Professor De Feyter focused on the type and structure of the legally binding instrument. The presentations of the experts can be found at www.ohchr.org/EN/Iss­ues/Development/Pages/PresentationsLBI20Session.aspx.

The Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group, Ambassador Zamir Akram has been tasked with preparing a preliminary draft of the instrument.